Master of Puppets solo help?

I'm learning the Kirk Hammett section of Master of Puppets and I've just reached the solo near the end of the song (the legato/tapping bit that starts at around 5:42), and I'm trying to figure out quite how to do it, either with the riff spread across two strings as is written, or tapping it all as one string.

Any advice on how to deal with this bit?

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The way I hear it is that on the high E string you have 17p12 and then on the B string you pick 13 12 13, then pick 12 on the E string and repeat that pattern. For me it is easier though if I do it all legato. Tapping it can be a bit awkward but very possible.

I can remember not being sure on this one either. I ended up just picking each note individually.

My take at the end of the day was that if you can't pick the start of the solo, you're probably not going to be able to pick the fast ascending bit towards the end accurately either.

I heard Steve Vai say at a clinic once that in his early days he was just shredding everything alternate picking, then has gradually used more legato through his career as he likes the tone he gets from it more.

So, without knowing your skill level, if you're using legato because you can't pick that fast, it'll probably be better in the long run just to start slowly with alternate picking and speed it up as you go until you can pick it at the 210-ish bpm.

Honestly, whatever works man. As long as the notes are correct and can be played cleanly with a fast tempo then go for it. I’ve never tried the first lick with tapping and legato but yes it is doable (after reading this). I was able to do it legato when I was first learning the lick just to get the left hand but that was done to familiarize with the lick. I see a lot of good advice to the thread so I wont go there but I do agree, there are harder licks than the intro lick during the solo.

My advice though (which is what I tell everyone), to learn Kirk’s solo on Master of Puppets (or any other solo), you need to know or understand what’s needed for the solo. For example, in MOP, it is alternate picking over 2 strings, tremolo picking, string bending, artificial harmonics, minor and pentatonic scales (am sure there is more). What you won’t learn from the solo are other techniques such as tapping or sweep picking. You can improvise to add these techniques in there.

a) Know your level. If you are a beginner, then maybe you should try and learn an easier solo. It’s like playing games like Tetris and Bejewelled, if you are new to the game and jump straight to the hardest level, you will lose and be demotivated fairly quickly. There is no harm waiting before you get better but….

b) If you don’t want to learn other solos, I don’t think it’s wrong to attempt the MOP solo if you do it correctly with the right attitude which is to be persistent and not lose motivation. A lot of guitarists I know rush into things, play sloppily (especially with the right hand) just to play fast and then hit a stagnant point where they have to unlearn their mistakes to learn to play properly again. To me, that is such a waste of time. So yes, be patient and avoid practicing mistakes. Remember, while you think it’s impressive to play fast, there are people out there that don’t play guitar that can tell between a clean player vs a messy one. If you are going around bragging that you can play MOP solo after 6 months on the guitar, then either you are extremely talented or you think you are better than what you are. Sadly the latter is more so the case.

c) Warm up before you play. Avoid the injuries. Work on left hand drills followed by right hand drills. This is important. All the greats do it. It’s a discipline.

d) There are actually some really good videos on YouTube of people playing the solo. Find a few good ones and see how it is done. Find apps that can slow down a phrase. This helps familiarity

e) Use a metronome. The goal is to be able to play the solo clean and clear at a speed of around 220PMB. Start slow. Start at about 124BPM. Pay attention to the details. For example, how you pick (correct string, how hard, how damp), the pick angle, the timing (i.e. triplets) the accents, the fingering.. etc etc. Go one lick at a time. Focus on what the left hand does. For example, play legato first at the run that starts just before the key changes to F# minor (to me, this is a harder lick than the start of the solo). Then work on the right hand. On that same part are triplets. Work the picking alone. After which, combine the two and focus on timing and accents. Once you can do it well, play the whole solo. Once you can play the solo well, increase speed by 8BPM. When you reach a point where you can’t play clean, go back to base speed (in my case 124BPM) and try again.

f) Don’t use a metronome. I know this counter argues the point above. Reason I say this is playing with and without a metronome complements each other. Difference is this. When you use a metronome, you will normally focus on accuracy. Without a metronome, you will focus on the other side of playing, things like feel, looseness and etc. What I normally do is get my feet tapping to a tempo. I would play the verse riff all down picked (as how James actually plays it) and based on that go to the 3 chords leading to solo.

g) It’s ok to “cheat”. Using the run leading up to F# chord change, one can play that picking every note or play it legato. If you pick, then that’s how Kirk plays it. If you play it legato, you get familiar with the left hand. Playing legato is not easy like people say it is. It takes skills. Joe Satriani for example is a master at the technique. If playing legato works and you can get away with it playing it well enough that it sounds great…who cares…I mean, would you tell Kirk that he is playing his solo wrong if you saw him do the same part in legato? There is no harm learning parts in legato in case your band mates play faster. Even the great Metallica plays some of their songs faster during a live setting. Better to be able to adapt then to be messy from being too rigid. Of course, always better to be able to play both ways - picked and legato. At the end, you should learn a solo to learn techniques and incorporate that to other songs (original or covers). Practice whatever you can from one lick.

h) Have time away from the guitar if you are not getting it. You can use the time to mentally visualize the solo. It’s funny how powerful the mind is. There are days I can’t play a certain lick, take a break from it and then I can play it a day later.

i) Have fun in playing. Don’t stress too much if you are not getting it. When you practice, there are good days and bad days. There are days you will play at say 220bpm and others where you can’t play faster than 200. Its normal. Keep practicing and one day you will be able to play at 228bpm. Even if you finally get it 10 years later, point is to practice smart and not hard. I am 100% sure Kirk was not able to play at 220BPM the day he picked up a guitar for the first time. It takes (yes you’ve guessed it&hellip practice and discipline.

j) The Rhythm work is actually 95% of the song. Focus on that too. As I mentioned above, James down picks everything. The song makes a great down pick workout.

That’s just my advice. Finally, good luck man. Hope you can nail the solo today!

Being a 36 year old Beginner/Intermediate all of this is great advice.

All I will say (because I canstantly beat myself up) is... Mental state is huge, have fun and don't ramp up on yourself because it will snowball quickly.

I've been heeding a lot of Freepower's advice lately and just hammering stuff into my head at a very slow BPM and then as you speed it up It just clicks because muscle memory is there from doing the low-BPM work, your hands just do it.